“Felt Like Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan”: UK PM Boris Johnson on India welcome

On Friday UK PM Boris Johnson addressed a joint press meet with PM Modi in Delhi and acknowledged the amazing reception he received. He said that he felt like Sachin Tendulkar.

“And I had an amazing reception – absolutely amazing– I felt like Sachin Tendulkar – my face was about as ubiquitous everywhere as Amitabh Bachchan. I was everywhere to be seen and it was fantastic,” said PM Johnson.

Talking about the Indo-Pacific region he said, “It was great to see you (PM Modi) at the G7. But since then, the threats of autocratic coercion have grown even further and it’s therefore vital that we deepen our co-operation, including our shared interest in keeping the Indo-Pacific open and free.”

India and UK will extend the partnership in science, and said that he had “the Indian jab” in his arm.

Johnson said, “We’re extending our partnership as science superpowers, And building on the collaboration between Oxford/Astra-Zeneca and the Serum Institute, which vaccinated more than a billion people against Covid, – including me – I have the Indian jab in my arm and the power of good it did me so thanks to India.”

These partnerships form the superstructure of the Living Bridge that Narendra describes between our countries, and today that bridge is humming with goods and services and people and capital, whizzing back and forth east to west

Johnson said that the new deals between India and UK are worth £1 billion and will create more than 11,000 new jobs across the UK.

Johnson said that the next round of the talks regarding the Free Trade Agreement will begin next week. Johnson has told the negotiators to get it done by Diwali in October.

“We’ve already closed four chapters, and today we’re announcing new measures to make it easier to export UK-made medical devices to India and ensure mutual recognition of UK higher education qualifications. And as the next round of talks begins here next week, we are telling our negotiators: get it done by Diwali in October. Get it done by Diwali,” said PM Johnson.